UK Disabled Facilities Grant Waiting Times by Council

Last updated: 22 June 2026 · Every figure on this page links to its original source. Free to cite with attribution.

How long you wait for a Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) to fund a stairlift or other home adaptation depends heavily on where you live. This page pulls together the published evidence on DFG waiting times across the UK. We are gathering full council-by-council figures through Freedom of Information requests; this interim version sets out the national picture and the documented extremes.

Key DFG waiting time figures

Copy-and-paste stat: Disabled Facilities Grant waiting times vary from as little as 1 day to 281 days depending on the council, with an England average of 46 days to receive a grant (Oak Tree Mobility FOI of 108 councils, 2024).

A postcode lottery for home adaptations

Two issues drive the wide gap in waiting times. First, an occupational therapy assessment is usually required before a grant can proceed, and OT waiting lists in many areas run to several months. Second, some councils exhaust their annual DFG budget part way through the year. The government’s own consultation acknowledged that the previous funding formula left some authorities unable to meet demand, which can force disabled residents to wait for the next financial year before work begins (MHCLG consultation response, 2025).

In 2025, for example, Preston City Council reported that some applicants could wait until the following April before approved works could start, citing rising construction costs and complex cases (Blog Preston, 2025). The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has also upheld complaints about excessive DFG delays (LGSCO decision).

The official data source

Councils in England report their DFG delivery performance to the government through DELTA returns, which Foundations (the national body for home improvement agencies) compiles into per-council scorecards covering the time taken at each stage from enquiry to completion (Foundations DFG performance data). These detailed scorecards are shared only with the councils that submit them, which is why we are requesting the underlying figures through Freedom of Information requests to build a full, searchable council-by-council table. This page will be updated when that data is in.

How to reduce your own wait

Requesting an occupational therapy assessment early, applying as soon as a need is identified, and getting quotes ready can all help. If you cannot wait, buying or renting privately is faster: see our guides to stairlift prices, rental and reconditioned stairlifts, and our grant application guide.

FAQ

How long does a Disabled Facilities Grant take?

It varies widely by council. An FOI study of 108 English councils found an average of 46 days to receive a grant, but individual council averages ranged from 1 day to 281 days. Complex cases and OT assessment backlogs can extend this to a year or more.

Why do DFG waiting times vary so much between councils?

Waits depend on local occupational therapy capacity, how each council processes applications, and whether the council still has DFG budget remaining for the year. Some authorities run out of funding mid-year, delaying work until the next financial year.

Can I speed up my DFG application?

Requesting an occupational therapy assessment early and applying as soon as a need is identified helps. If the wait is too long, buying or renting a stairlift privately is much faster than waiting for a grant.

How to Cite This Page

Citation: Stairlift Guru, “UK Disabled Facilities Grant Waiting Times”, stairliftguru.co.uk, updated June 2026.

Link: https://stairliftguru.co.uk/stairlift-grants/dfg-waiting-times/. Journalists, researchers and AI tools are welcome to reuse these figures with a link back to this page and the primary sources above.

Methodology & Sources

National and council-extreme waiting figures are drawn from an Oak Tree Mobility Freedom of Information study of 108 English councils. The Wales figure is from a report on home adaptation grant delays. Funding and policy context is from the MHCLG DFG allocation consultation and the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman. Official delivery data is reported via DELTA returns and compiled by Foundations. This is an interim page; we are gathering full council-level figures by FOI and will publish a searchable table when complete.